Love At First Sight
by Heather5
Summary: AU: Buffy and Angel meet at college and fall in love. It's really three stories in a series, but I grouped them together.
1. Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight  
By: Heather  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to Joss and Co.  
  
"Guys, I'm finally home." Buffy Summers called as she stepped into her apartment. When she received no reply from her roommates, she moved into the kitchen where she found a note.  
  
Buff,  
Since you were late, we went to get the pizza and movies. Be back soon.  
W&X  
  
'I guess that leaves me to set up,' Buffy thought.  
  
As she moved to her room to change into more comfortable clothes, she began to think about the night to come. She loved the time that she spent with her friends. Willow Rosenburg and Xander Harris were her best friends from high school. After graduation  
the three of them moved to LA to attend UCLA. They had grown slightly apart since moving, but they each made sure to make time for 'movie night'.   
  
'Movie night' was a tradition that had started soon after they had moved into the apartment. It was held one Friday night a month. They just sat around talking and eating the pizza then they would all pile up in one of their bedrooms and watch movies. They did it so that they could spend time together, just the three of them. No boyfriends, girlfriends, or anyone else was allowed to attend.   
  
'Not that I have to worry about that,' Buffy thought to herself. It wasn't that she didn't date. She dated some, but they never worked out. She just couldn't find a guy that she felt comfortable around. She hardly ever went out with the same guy more than once or twice. All she wanted was a guy that she could just be herself with, but he didn't seem to exist.   
  
Suddenly Buffy shook her head to rid it of all depressing thoughts. She was acting silly. There was absolutely no reason for her to get all depressed because she didn't have a boyfriend. She had a great family and the best friends a person could ask for, she had a great job, and was two weeks away from starting her sophomore year at UCLA. Her life was good.  
  
With that thought in mind, she began to pull all of their usual junk food from the cabinets and refrigerator. Just as she was finishing, Xander and Willow entered the apartment.  
  
"Buff, you're home!" Xander said, as he sat the pizza down on the table.   
  
"Yep, I have all of the snacks set up in my room, so everything's ready." She replied.  
  
"Good, let's eat."   
  
Buffy and Willow laughed at their friend, his appetite was well known. After they had gathered around their small table and gotten their share of the pizza, they began to discuss the day's events.  
  
"Why were you so late, Buffy?" Willow asked.  
  
"Ugh, don't remind me." Buffy whined.  
  
"That bad?"  
  
"No, not really, I'm over reacting. Just as I was leaving, Giles called me into his office."  
  
"What did G-man want?" Xander asked.  
  
Rupert Giles was Buffy's boss and also her stepfather. Originally he had been the librarian at Sunnydale High School, the school that they had all attended. That was where he met Buffy's mother and the two of them had gotten married during Buffy's senior year. Then last summer, he was offered a job at UCLA as the head librarian.  
  
It was good for Buffy because she was able to get a job on-campus. It was bad for her because Giles always called on her to do the hard jobs. He said it was because he knew he could trust her to do them right, but Buffy thought it was just the jobs that nobody else would do.  
  
"Well you know that we've been a little short staffed and with me cutting back to part-time in two weeks, he's going to need extra help. So, he hired somebody new for a part-time position and I have to train them starting Monday."  
  
"Did he tell you anything about this person?" Willow asked.  
  
'No, whoever it is, was hired through the school, so Giles doesn't know anything about it, except that they're a sophomore majoring in history. Why they felt the need to share that information and nothing else, I don't know." She replied.  
  
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Willow said.  
  
"Yeah, sure Will." Buffy said, not believing it for a moment. She hated training new people and Giles knew it. She decided it was time to change the subject, "So what's going on with you two?"  
  
They spent the next hour just talking about different things that were going on in their lives. Such as, Xander's girlfriend Cordelia's latest shopping spree and what classes they would all be taking that semester. Finally, they made their way into Buffy's bedroom, where they all piled onto her bed to watch the movies.  
  
Monday morning, Buffy arrived at the library at her usual time. She took several deep breaths before going in to meet her new trainee. Finally, she entered and made her way to Giles' office. As she approached, she noticed a tall dark haired guy inside with Giles.  
  
'Too bad he's not the new person.' She thought to herself as she took in his appearance. She couldn't see him clearly, but from what she could see, he was good looking. He had to be six foot or taller with spiky brown hair, dressed in black pants and a black leather jacket. He looked to be around 24 or 25 years old.  
  
Buffy knocked softly on Giles' door. She didn't want to disturb his meeting but she needed to let him know that she had arrived.   
  
"Ah, Buffy, do come in." Giles said as both he and the stranger stood and turned to face her.  
  
A little surprised she entered, "I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted you to know that I was here."  
  
"You're right on time. We were just finishing up. Buffy Summers, I'd like to introduce you to Angelus McClowery. He's our new staff member."  
  
Shocked, Buffy turned to face the man, and came to an abrupt halt. Good looking did not describe this man. He was easily the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He seemed to pause for a moment before regaining his composure. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Um...yeah, I mean nice to meet you, too." Buffy said when she finally managed to compose herself.  
  
Giles didn't seem to notice and continued to speak, "Buffy is going to be the one to train you Angelus. I'm sure that you will be in good hands."  
  
Buffy coughed a little at Giles' choice of words, but covered it by saying, "I'll do my best."   
  
"Yes, of course you will. Well, I won't keep you any longer. Buffy can start showing you around." Giles said.  
  
"Okay," Buffy and Angelus said in unison.  
  
Angelus opened the door for Buffy and motioned for her to exit first. As he followed her into the main room of the library, he was trying very hard not to stare at her. She was beautiful. Taking in her appearance, he decided that she was not was he was expecting. She was petite, not much over five feet tall, with shoulder length blond hair and piercing green eyes. She was wearing a loose fitting top with a short skirt and high heeled sandals.   
  
'Nope, definitely not what I was expecting.' He thought, shaking his head and trying to refocus on his new job. Quietly he chuckled to himself as he realized that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate. His suspicions were confirmed when she  
turned towards him and he found himself lost in her smile.   
  
"What's funny?" she asked lightly.  
  
Deciding to go for honesty, he said, "You, you're just not what I was expecting."  
  
Buffy knew what he was referring to, but decided to play dumb, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I don't mean anything by this, but you don't look like the library type," he said with a smile. "But then again, you seem to be the number two person around here."  
  
Buffy laughed, "It's okay. You're right; I'm not really a book person. At first, it was just a job, but now I've been here for almost a year and I love it."  
  
"How did you get the job?" he asked.  
  
"Giles got me the position when he took over as head librarian." She answered.  
  
"So you've known him for a while?"  
  
Laughing once again, Buffy said, "Yeah, he's my step-father." When he didn't seem to be able to come up with a reply she continued, "Besides, you're not exactly what I was expecting either."  
  
"How's that?"  
  
"Oh, come on. Giles told me that you were a sophomore majoring in history. I was expecting some little nerdy person."  
  
It was Angelus' turn to laugh, "He was right."  
  
"You're a sophomore?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yes, I am," he answered, still chuckling. "You find that hard to believe?"  
  
"No, well, um...I mean," Buffy stuttered, "It's just that I'm a sophomore...well, you just look older," she finally blurted out. By this time she was beyond embarrassed.  
  
He lightly touched her arm to get her to look at him, "It's alright. I am older. I'm 24. My mother had so heath problems and I had to sit out for a few years after I finished my freshman year."  
  
Buffy blushed, "I'm sorry. That's none of my business, I didn't mean to pry."  
  
"You didn't pry, I just told you. I guess you're just easy to talk to," he said.  
  
"Maybe," Buffy said and decided to change the subject. "What kind of name is Angelus?" She smiled to let him know that she was only teasing. She didn't know why  
she felt comfortable enough to tease him. She had only met ten minutes prior, but for some reason she knew he wouldn't mind.  
  
"It's Irish, my father's from Ireland." He said with a slight grimace that let her know he wasn't particularly fond of it.  
  
She smiled, "Well, it's...interesting."  
  
"Interesting, huh? Well I'm glad you think so, Buffy," he smirked as he stressed her name.  
  
"Hey! It's a nickname!" she laughed.  
  
"What's your real name?" he asked.  
  
"I'll never tell."  
  
He also started to laugh, "No fair. You know mine and unfortunately I don't have a nickname to hide behind."  
  
"Well, I guess I'll just have to think one up for you." She said, smiling at him once again. She couldn't believe the way she was flirting with this guy, she never acted like this. It was completely unlike her, but there was just something about him that made her feel like it was okay.   
  
Making eye contact with her for the first time he replied, "Okay, you do that."  
  
They just stared at each other for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally Buffy looked away.  
  
"So, did Giles give you the run down on what you're going to be doing?" she asked.  
  
"Not really, he said that he was going to leave it up to you."  
  
"Then I guess I should show you around first." She said as she began to walk away.   
  
"Sounds good," Angelus replied as he followed her, and at that moment he felt like he would follow Buffy Summers anywhere she led.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey," Willow called as Buffy stepped into the apartment.   
  
"Hey."  
  
"So, how was your first day of training?" Willow asked.  
  
Buffy smiled, "I think he's going to work out fine."  
  
Willow saw a look flash across Buffy's face as she said this. It was gone so quickly that she wasn't even sure that she had seen it, but it was enough to give her an idea. "So, it's a guy?" she asked.  
  
Buffy nodded and headed for her bedroom to change, with Willow close behind her.  
  
"Where's Xander?" Buffy asked.  
  
"He said he was going over to Cordy's when he got off work. What's this guy's name?"  
  
"Angelus McClowery"  
  
As she said his name, Willow saw the look once again. This time she was sure that she saw it.  
  
"You like him!" she blurted out.  
  
Buffy quickly turned around to face her friend, "Willow, I just met the guy."  
  
"Well, is he cute?" she asked.  
  
Turning back around to face her closet, Buffy tried to play it cool, "I guess some girls might think so."  
  
"What kind of girls?"  
  
Finally Buffy couldn't stand it anymore and flopped onto her bed next to Willow and declared, "The kind with eyes."  
  
"So he is good-looking."  
  
"He's more than good-looking, Will. He's mouth-falling-open-with-your-tongue-hanging-out-and-drooling-all-over-the-place gorgeous!"  
  
"You DO like him!" Willow said with certainty.  
  
"It takes more than a pretty face for me, you know that," Buffy said, trying to hold on to what little dignity she had left. She couldn't believe that she had fallen for a guy that she had known for less than ten hours and she just wasn't ready to admit it, yet. Not even to her best friend.  
  
"Well, what's he like?" Willow asked, dropping the other subject for a minute.  
  
"Um, he's twenty-four and he seems like a really nice guy."  
  
"Twenty-four? I thought Giles said he was a sophomore." Willow said.  
  
"He is, his mother got sick just as he was finishing his freshman year and he had to get a job to help out. This is his first semester back."  
  
"Buffy, he stayed out of college for five years to work and help out his family. That doesn't sound like 'just a pretty face to me',' Willow said.  
  
"No, it doesn't, does it." She replied softly.  
  
Looking at her best friend, Willow was shocked at how hard Buffy seemed to have fallen for this guy. It was all very un-Buffy-like and if she liked him this much already, then this guy was someone special.  
  
With that thought in mind, Willow made a decision. She wasn't going to let Buffy just forget about this. As Buffy's best friend, it was her duty to make sure that Buffy didn't chicken out and let this guy get away from her and duty was something that Willow took very seriously.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
By Friday, Angelus had learned his way around the library and was trained well enough to work without Buffy. What he was trying to figure out, as he sorted through the book returns, was how he felt about not working with her. He and Buffy had become very good  
friends in the short time that they had known each other and he had begun to look forward to seeing her each day.  
  
To him she was perfection. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty...definitely witty. The good-natured teasing, that started as soon as they met, had yet to stop. They were always trying to find something that would aggravate each other.   
  
Looking up from his books, he spotted her not far away. She was standing on a ladder attempting to place a book on the top shelf, but she still wasn't quite tall enough. Not one to let a good opportunity pass him by, Angelus headed in her direction.  
  
What Angelus didn't know was that Buffy's was thinking along the same lines as he had been. She was going to miss seeing him every day like she had this week. She was even going to miss the good-natured banter that flowed constantly between them.  
  
She was so occupied by her thoughts, that she didn't notice how far over she was leaning until it was too late. Just as she finally managed to put the book in it's proper place, she lost her balance and began to fall.  
  
But instead of feeling herself crash to the floor, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and stop her descent.  
  
"Whoa, be careful Buffy," She heard Angelus say.  
  
"Oh God, thank you. I thought I was dead. It looks like you're my guardian angel. Hey that's it!"  
  
"That's what?" he asked as he gently set her feet on the floor, but he didn't let go of her.  
  
"Your new nickname."  
  
"Okay, now I'm really confused. What's my new nickname? Are you sure you didn't hit your head on the way down?" he teased.   
  
"You said I could pick out a nickname for you. That's what I pick, Angel."  
  
"Angel?" he asked doubtfully.  
  
"Yep that's it from now on you're Angel."  
  
"I think you can do better than that," he said.  
  
"Nope, I don't think so. I like Angel, besides it fits you."  
  
Angelus looked down at her and asked quietly, "You think so, huh?"  
  
For the first time, Buffy noticed that his arms were still around her waist and she felt her breath catch as she looked into his eyes. The last thought that Buffy had before her mind shut down was, 'He's going to kiss me.' Slowly his he lowered his head towards hers as she closed her eyes...  
  
"Buffy."  
  
At the sound of Giles' voice they jumped away from each other. By the time that Giles' actually found them, they were both fully engrossed in their work.  
  
"There you are, Buffy. I really hate to do this to you, but I have a really big favor to ask of you," he said.  
  
"Giles, I know that tone. What's up?" she asked resignedly.  
  
"There is a huge shipment of new titles coming in Monday and I need you to..."  
  
"Giles, no. You can't do that to me. I hate that," Buffy said, sounding almost frightened.  
  
"Buffy, there is no one else I trust to do it correctly. I know how you feel about this, but I have no other choice."  
  
Buffy sighed, "You know I'll do it, Giles. Do I at least get some help?"  
  
'Well, actually, yes. Angelus can help you, that way he will know how and maybe you won't have to be the one to do it next time."  
  
Buffy and 'Angel' both brightened significantly at his statement, "Okay, exactly how big of a shipment are we talking here?" Buffy asked.  
  
Giles grimaced, "I'm sure it will take you most of the week."  
  
"Giles you're pushing your luck."   
  
"Yes, well, thank you again, Buffy," he said before he hurried away.  
  
"So what did I just get roped into?" Angel asked.  
  
"Oh only the most fun you'll ever have." Buffy said with exaggerated excitement. "You have just been selected to help me unload crate after crate of books, enter them into the computer's card catalogue, label them, and then shelve them."   
  
"Oh boy, that sounds like fun." Angel said sarcastically.  
  
"It will be," Buffy said. As she walked away she called over her shoulder, "And just think, Angel, you get to work with me again everyday next week."  
  
'And this is a bad, how?' Angel asked himself as he watched her walk away.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Giles is making you catalogue the shipment, again?" Xander asked.  
  
"Yes, can you believe it! First of all, I hate cataloguing shipment and second, it's my last week before school starts. Why do I always get the sucky jobs?" Buffy whined to her friends as she dug around in their freezer looking for ice cream.  
  
"Is he making you do it alone?" Willow asked.  
  
"No, Angel is going to help me." She replied, finally finding the gallon of ice cream.  
  
"Angel? Angelus?!!" At Buffy's nod, Willow continued, "Buffy, since when do you call him Angel and why is this the first I've heard of it?"  
  
Buffy laughed at her friend's antics. Willow had given her the third degree about every little thing that had happened over the last week.   
  
"Since today. It's not that big of a deal, Will. It's kind of a joke."  
  
'Oh, so he doesn't mind being called Angel?" she asked.  
  
"It's not like everybody calls him that, just me," Buffy defended.  
  
"Okay, sure, you two are just friends." Willow said with a knowing smile.  
  
"We are just friends," Buffy said, trying not to think about the fact that he had almost kissed her.  
  
"Buff," Xander said, "Take it from a guy, if he let's you get away with calling him Angel, then he definitely thinks of you as more than a friend."  
  
Getting up and walking towards her bedroom, Buffy said, "You guys are crazy."  
  
As they watched her go, Xander asked Willow, "Do you think that there really might be nothing going on?"  
  
"No way." She replied.  
  
"Well then, I think we need to bring Buffy to lunch Monday." When Willow gave him a confused look he continued, "You know, we'll pick her up at the library."  
  
Suddenly Willow caught on to what he was saying, "And maybe, if 'Angel' is there, we'll get to meet him and see what's really going on."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Ugh," Angel groaned as he entered the wrong information into the computer for the fourth time. What he was doing wasn't that difficult, but he was distracted.   
  
For the last thirty minutes he had been watching a guy across the room blatantly stare at Buffy. She hadn't seemed to notice him so far, but Angel wasn't happy.  
  
'What's he doing staring at my Buffy?' he thought to himself. Sudden he realized what he had just said, 'When did I start to think of her as mine?'  
  
Finally, he decided to just ask Buffy if she knew him and see what she said.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Not that I blame him or anything, but why is that guy staring at you?" he asked.  
  
The joy that Buffy felt at his first statement quickly faded when she saw whom he was talking about. "Oh no," she said, turning back around quickly and hoping that the guy hadn't noticed her looking at him.  
  
"What? Who is it?" Angel asked.  
  
"Ugh, just this stupid...," she paused when she saw that Riley Finn, self proclaimed campus stud, was on his way over, "Oh God, here he comes. Angel, you have got  
to help me. The guy is gross. He's already asked me out three times. I keep telling him no, but he keeps coming back. It's like he can't believe I would actually turn him down or something." By the time she finished her little speech, she sounded as if she was near panic.  
  
"Help you? What am I supposed to do?" he asked innocently. Now that he realized that the guy was no threat to him, he was going to have some fun.  
  
"I don't know! Just..."  
  
"Hi Buffy."  
  
"Hello Riley" she said, turning around to face him.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"Well, actually, we're really busy right..."  
  
She was interrupted as Angel said, "Buffy, it's okay, talk to your friend. I'll go bring these papers to Giles."  
  
"That's all right Angel, it can wait until later."  
  
Giving her a sly grin as he walked away, he said, "It's no big deal, I'll be right back."  
  
"Buffy," Riley called, bringing her attention back to him, "I was wondering if you had changed your mind about the movie?"  
  
"Riley, we've been over this. I just can't right now, there is just too much going on in my life to get into anything like that." She answered, hoping that this would be the last time that she had to say it.  
  
"Yeah I know," he said dejectedly, "I was just hoping that you would change your mind. If you do, you know where to find me."  
  
As he walked away, Angel suddenly appeared beside her, papers still in hand, "Well, it looks like you handled that just fine."  
  
Buffy glared at him, "Yeah, no thanks to you."  
  
Angel laughed out loud at her look, "What was I supposed to do? Act like a jealous boyfriend or something. That would have looked great with that already lame excuse you gave him."  
  
Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "What were you doing? Eavesdropping?"   
  
"Yeah, basically." He replied.  
  
Buffy finally had to laugh, "Oh, you..." she said as she playfully took a swing at him.  
  
Still laughing, he easily caught her hand in mid-air, "You seem to have hooked him pretty good."  
  
Giving him her best pouty look, she asked, "Can I throw him back? I don't want him."  
  
"Who do you want?" he asked, suddenly becoming serious.  
  
Realizing that he was still holding her had, she gently tried to pull it away, but he wouldn't let her, "Someone who wants to be with me, just because I'm me."  
  
"Not just because you beautiful?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know about that. I just want to be able to be myself and I want him to be able to do the same. I don't know maybe I'm asking too much."  
  
"I don't think so, I bet you'll meet him sooner than you think."  
  
Once again, Buffy found herself looking into his dark eyes, "Maybe I already ha..."  
  
"Hey Buff!"  
  
Buffy jerked her hand away from Angel's and quickly turned to find herself face to face with her roommates.  
  
"Hey guys," she said in a slightly unsteady voice, "what's going on?"  
  
"We are here to take you out to lunch." Willow said, glancing at Angel, who was standing behind Buffy.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Buffy said, "Guys, this is Angel. Angel these are my roommates, Willow and Xander."  
  
They noticed that he gave her a look for introducing him as Angel, but he said nothing to her about it. Smiling at them, he said, "Nice to meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you, too." Willow said, "You're welcome to come to lunch with us if you want to."  
  
Angel had to fight to keep from laughing, when he saw the look that she received from Buffy, "Sorry, I can't. I already have plans to meet a friend of mine."  
  
"Okay, well maybe next time." Xander replied.  
  
Trying to change the subject, Buffy quickly said, "Just let me go get my purse and we can go, alright. I'll meet you out front."  
  
As Buffy and Angel walked to the staff lounge, Angel said, "Your friends are...subtle."  
  
"I'm sorry about that," Buffy laughed, "They're really not that bad, I promise."  
  
He smiled, "It's okay, it's not like I'm offended or anything."   
  
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? I'll make them behave, I promise." She asked hopefully.  
  
Angel sighed, "Any other day, I would love to, but I really do have plans to meet a friend."  
  
"Some other time then." Buffy said as they reached the front door.  
  
"It's a date," he replied.  
  
They shared one final smile before going their separate ways.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Angel stared off into space, thinking of nothing except Buffy. He just couldn't seem to get her out of his mind. He couldn't believe that she had gotten to him this bad and he had only known her for a week. Nobody had ever made him act this way before, but truthfully, he really didn't mind. Love at first sight had always seemed like something from a fairy tale to him, but he was quickly becoming a believer.  
  
"...but then the aliens brought me back because I was too skinny."  
  
Angel shook his head, "What?"  
  
"Where were you?" his friend laughed.  
  
"Nowhere," Angel said, "I was just thinking about something."  
  
"Something, huh? What's her name?"  
  
Angel smiled, "What's whose name?"  
  
"Whoever put that silly grin on your face."  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He lied.  
  
"Have you asked her out, yet?"   
  
He finally gave up, there was no way that his best friend would let this go, "No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I just met her a week ago."  
  
"Oh man, this is serious!"   
  
"Shut up, Spike," he said with a little smile.  
  
Spike was shocked by his friend's actions, it almost looked like he was blushing. "You have really got it bad," he said, the shock evident in his voice.  
  
When he received no reply, he continued, "So, are you going to tell me who the mystery lady is or not?"  
  
Deciding that talking might actually help him straighten out his thoughts, he answered, "Someone I work with, her name is Buffy."  
  
"Okay, what's so special about Ms. Buffy?"  
  
"I don't know, I can't describe it." Angel said, once again getting that far away look.  
  
Spike didn't know what to make of all this. He had never seen his friend this worked up over some girl before. This was going to be interesting. "Well, if she's so great, why haven't you asked her out yet? Is she seeing someone?"  
  
"No, not that I know of."  
  
"Then what in the hell are you waiting for?" Spike laughed.  
  
Angel gave him a resigned look, "I don't know, I guess I just didn't want to rush things."  
  
Once again, Spike started to laugh at his friend, "Trust me, if she's half as googly-eyed as you are, it's not going to be a problem.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
By Friday morning, Buffy and Angel could finally see an end to their enormous task. It had taken them almost all week to do it, but they were down to last five crates of books.   
  
Angel was just about to open one of them, when Buffy returned from Giles' office with a huge smile on her face.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" Angel asked.  
  
"Giles just told me that we can have the afternoon off if we are finished by lunch," she replied.  
  
"Well, let's get to work then."  
  
They smiled at each other for a long moment before going back to work. There had been an increasing number of those looks as the week had progressed. It was apparent to them, and anyone else for that matter, that they were extremely attracted to one another. They flirted shamelessly and somehow always managed to be close together when they were working. But even with all of that, he had yet to even attempt to ask her out and Buffy was quickly becoming impatient. She has definitely done her part to let him know that she was interested. It was almost embarrassing to think about how she acted around him. Pushing that thought aside before she started to blush, Buffy came to a decision. If he didn't ask he out today, she was going to take matters into her own hands.  
  
Four hours later, they were finally finished and they made their way to Giles' office to tell him.  
  
"Did you two finish up?" he asked as they entered.  
  
"Yes we did and now we are about to take you up on your offer of an afternoon off." Buffy said quickly so that he wouldn't be able to take back the offer.  
  
"Very good," he replied, "Seeing as this is your last day before classes resume, I assume that you will both be working part-time from now on?"   
  
Angel nodded and Buffy said, "Yep, sorry Giles, but if my grades drop because I'm working too much, Mom will kill us both!"  
  
Giles laughed along with her, "Quite right. Well then, both of you have a good afternoon off."  
  
They said their good-byes and then made their way outside.  
  
"Buffy..."  
  
"Angel..."  
  
They laughed at themselves and Buffy motioned for Angel to continue. After taking a deep breath, he said, "Do you want to have lunch with me?"  
  
Buffy let out a sigh of relief, "I love to."  
  
"Great" Angel said, as he led her to his car.  
  
As they drove away he asked, "What were you going to say?"  
  
"Oh, it wasn't important."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So what are you planning to do after you get your degree in history?" Buffy asked Angel as they sat together outside of a café.  
  
"I'd like to try for a position in a museum."  
  
Buffy laughed, "That's it? Nothing more specific?"  
  
"Right now, I'm just glad to be back in school." He said, smiling slightly.  
  
Buffy sobered a little at the thought of him being forced to set his dreams aside to help his family. "I guess you are. So what kinds of jobs have you had?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood once again.  
  
It was, apparently, the right question to ask because Angel busted out laughing, "Too many to name them all."  
  
"Okay, so what's the worst job that you've ever had?"  
  
"No way."  
  
"Oh come on, tell me."  
  
"No. Uh-uh."  
  
"Please" she said, giving him her best pouty look.  
  
"Come on, don't give me that look," he said. When she continued to just stare at him, he finally gave in, "Alright, come here."  
  
He motioned for her to closer, until he could whisper in her ear.  
  
When she heard his answer, she said, "Oh my God," before being over come with hysterical laughter.  
  
"Okay, so not funny. See if I tell you anything again." He said with exaggerated indignation.  
  
Buffy knew that he wasn't serious, but decided to play along anyway, "Angel, I'm sorry. Don't be mad."   
  
Giving her a dazzling smile, he said, "Like I could get mad at you."   
  
"You're sweet."  
  
"No, not sweet! Anything but sweet!" he said dramatically.  
  
Laughing, Buffy asked, "What's wrong with being sweet."  
  
"Women always tell you that you're sweet right before they give you the brush-off."  
  
"Now, why on earth, would I do a stupid thing like that?" she asked coyly.  
  
"Because I'm about to ask you to spent the rest of the day with me," He replied.  
  
"Oh, is that all? Well I'm about to say yes."  
  
"Well then, this is turning out to be a great day," he said with a smile.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
After an hour of walking around town, they decided to go to the park. As they walked along one of the more secluded paths, they began to tell each other about their lives. Angel told her funny stories about things that happened to him in high school and sad stories about things that had happened after his mother had become ill. In return, Buffy told him about some of her adventures with Willow and Xander. Then she told  
him about her absentee father and her fatherly love for Giles.   
  
Finally they fell into a companionable silence and just enjoyed being in each other's company. As they walked, their hands gently brushed together, causing a feeling of electricity to pass through them both. Almost cautiously, Angel reached out to take her hand in a gentle grip. Noticing his sideways glances, Buffy squeezed his hand gently to let him know that it was all right.   
  
As they made their way back to his car, they walked past an amusement park. Buffy smiled to herself and pulled him to the entrance.   
  
"An amusement park?" he asked doubtfully.  
  
"I'll be fun, you'll see," she said.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
After hours of rides and games, they were both exhausted. They walked together through the crowds of people, Buffy proudly displaying the teddy bear that Angel had won for her.  
  
"Let's take a break from the rides for just a minute, okay?"  
  
"No problem," Buffy said tiredly, suddenly she spotted something that seemed to rejuvenate her energy.  
  
"Hey look, do you want to go get some ice cream?" she asked, but she was already leading him toward the cart.  
  
"Sure," he said, content to go along with anything that made her happy.  
  
"What flavor can I get for you?" the vendor asked when they reached him.  
  
"Chocolate" Angel replied.  
  
Buffy gave him a look, "Chocolate?"  
  
"What's wrong with chocolate ice cream?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with it, but look at all of these flavors. So many to choose from and you pick chocolate." She replied, unable to suppress her smile.  
  
As he reached to accept his cup from the man, he told her, "I like chocolate."  
  
"So what will you have?" the man asked Buffy.  
  
"Vanilla."  
  
Angel smirked at her, "Great choice, Buff."  
  
"I thought so." She said, accepting her own cup.  
  
"So what are we going to do now?" Angel asked as they walked away.  
  
"Something calm so we can eat our ice cream," She said.  
  
After looking around for a minute, he said, "I have an idea."  
  
He pointed her in the right direction and soon Buffy found herself standing at the base of the Ferris wheel.  
  
"Angel, I don't know about this, I always get stuck on the very top."  
  
"Oh, come on. It'll be fun," he said as he gently pushed her towards the empty seat.  
  
Buffy finally gave in and sat down, in the last remaining seat. When Angel was seated, the operator started ride. After making only two rotations, the Ferris wheel suddenly came to a stop, leaving Buffy and Angel on stranded at the very top.  
  
"I told you this was going to happen!" Buffy said dramatically.  
  
Angel started to reply, but when Buffy turned to face him, he instead began to laugh.  
  
"You think this is funny?" she asked.   
  
"No, Buffy not this, you just have a little ice cream..." he trailed off as he slightly motioned to her face.  
  
"Oh my...where?" she asked more than a little embarrassed. When she moved to wipe her face with a napkin, Angel stopped her.  
  
"Wait, let me," he said. Slowly he leaned her, moving his hand towards her mouth. At the very last moment his hand moved to cup her cheek and he caught her lips in a gentle kiss. It only lasted for the briefest moment before he pulled back, but only slightly.   
  
As she slowly opened her eyes, he whispered, "There, all gone."  
  
A slow smile spread across her face as she moved close to him once more, "No, I think you missed a spot."  
  
As their lips met for the second time, the outside world seemed to fade away. Nothing existed for them except each other and that very moment. This kiss was gentle, but filled with many emotions: passion, fire, longing...love. They were each overpowered by the  
extreme feelings that were conveyed by just this simple act, but neither of them was frightened such intensity. It was as if this was the way it was always meant to be, for them to be together.   
  
"Everybody off."  
  
The loud voice caused them to come rushing back to reality. They were once again on the ground and being watched be several onlookers. They hadn't even noticed when the ride had once again become operational. Quickly, they stood and made their way into the crowd, both highly embarrassed, but feeling happier than they could ever remember.  
  
"Well, what now?" Angel laughed, once they were safely away from the Ferris wheel.  
  
"To top that?" Buffy asked, also laughing.  
  
"I don't think we could top that if we wanted to," he said, becoming serious.  
  
Buffy grasped his hand and turned to face him, "I don't think we could either."  
  
Shaking her head to break the spell that he seemed to cast on her, just by looking into her eyes, she said, "Unfortunately, it's getting really late and I need to be getting home."  
  
Looking at his watch, Angel was shocked by the time, "Wow, I guess we do need to get going. Come on," he said, pulling gently on her hand to start her moving, "I'll drive you home."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When they reached the door to her apartment, Buffy slowly turned to face Angel.  
  
"I don't want this day to be over." She said quietly.  
  
"Hey," he said, as he gently raised her head until he could look into her eyes, "There are going to be lot's more days. Just like this one."  
  
She smiled, "No, not just like this one. I think that this is the best day of my life."  
  
"Mine, too." He said. They just stared into each others eyes, loosing track of time as they each became lost in their own thoughts.   
  
"I guess one of us should go here." Angel said, eventually, but made no move to do so.   
  
"Yeah, I'll see you Monday for lunch, right?" she asked.  
  
"I'll be there."  
  
When she smiled at him, he couldn't hold back any longer. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. As their lips met in another searing kiss, she tightly wound her arms around his neck, trying to get as close as she could to him.   
  
Sensing that he was about to loose control, Angel pulled back, but didn't release her from his tight embrace. With his forehead resting against hers, he whispered, "Goodnight."  
  
"Night," she said.  
  
Finally she forced herself to step out of his warm embrace and turned to unlock the door. Stepping inside she turned to face him once more.  
  
Angel started to laugh, "Okay, you need to shut that door or we're going to stand here all night."  
  
"I'm going, I'm going," she said as she slowly started to close the door. "Bye."  
  
"Bye," Angel said, just before it closed fully.  
  
Both stared at the closed door. Each filled with thoughts of the other and overcome by the joy that accompanied those thoughts. They were shocked at the changes that had occurred in their lives since meeting, but one thing was for certain. Their lives would never be the same.  
  
The End  
  
  



	2. Sliver of the Moon

**Sliver of the Moon**

**By:  Heather**

  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters. They are the property of Joss and Co. I am just borrowing them. Please don't sue me. The song belongs to Skip Ewing from the album 'Until I found you'. I don't own it either.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Will, you won't be a fifth wheel. We're going to a club, there will be hundreds of people there, besides, Angel is bringing a friend so technically there will be six of us."  
  
"No, Willow, I am not trying to set you up. I promise."  
  
"Xander and Cordy will bring you."  
  
"Will, just be ready at nine, ok? Bye"  
  
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as she placed the telephone back into its cradle. She had just spent the last hour trying to convince her best friend that she would have fun if she came with her to the new club in town. Ok, so technically she would be going with Xander, Cordy, and Angel too.  
  
Angel.  
  
Just his name always caused a huge smile to appear on her face, in what Xander had quickly dubbed 'Angel face'. Buffy laughed as she remembered the interrogation she had encountered, upon waking, the morning after her first date with Angel.  
  
~~Flashback~~  
Buffy sleepily walked into the kitchen to find her roommates watching her expectantly. She knew that they had probably figured out that she had been with Angel the night before, but she was going to make them wait as long as she could before she confirmed it. Smiling to herself, she waved in their direction and then poured herself a glass of orange juice. When she finally seated herself at the table she looked up and found that they were still looking at her.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
"So what did you do last night? Where were you?" Xander asked, with a grin.  
  
"I left a message telling you that I was going to be late. Didn't you get it?" Buffy said  
  
"Yeah, we got it but all you said was that you were going to be late. You didn't say what you..." Xander started but was interrupted by Willow.  
  
"Were you with Angel?"  
  
Looking at her best friends excited face, Buffy felt her resolve leave her and a wide smile spread across her face. "Now why would I be out with Angel?"  
  
"I knew it! He finally asked you out!" Willow said, almost jumping out of her chair with joy.  
  
Buffy nodded her head as she found herself giggling like a little girl. She told them their lunch together, walking in the park, and their night at the amusement park. When she finished, Willow declared that it was the most romantic story that she had ever heard and Xander said he had sugar shock. Buffy listened to both of their comments, feeling happier than she ever remember.  
~~end flashback~~  
  
That had happened a month ago and things had only gotten better. The two of them spent as much time together as they could, Buffy even convinced Giles to let them work the same shift at the library on most days. Unfortunately today was not one of those days, it was her day off, but Angel was working.  
  
Buffy sighed as she walked out onto the front porch of her Mom's house. She had spent the day there with her Mom, they didn't get to see each other very much lately and they both missed their time together.   
  
'Only an hour,' Buffy thought as she looked down at her watch. Angel was going to pick her up after he got off work and she was quickly becoming impatient. They hadn't seen very much of each other this week because of conflicting schedules and even though they talked on the phone, it wasn't the same. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she felt a pair of hands close over her eyes and warm breath on her ear.  
  
"Guess who?"  
  
"Riley," Buffy said, then laughed as she heard the growl that came from her boyfriend at the reminder of the boy who just wouldn't take no for an answer.  
  
"You should be so lucky," he said sarcastically, "If this is how I'm going to be greeted, then I'm going home." His threat was discredited by the fact that he was barely containing his smile.  
  
"Oh, did I hurt the poor baby's feelings? Let's try it again then," she said as she stood and turned to face him. "Hey Baby," she said in a sexy voice as she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his more than willing lips.  
After a moment Buffy pulled back slightly, "Believe me when I say that I'm not complaining, but how come you're early?"  
  
Keeping his arms tightly locked around her waste, he answered, "I finished up and Giles said I could go. I think he was just trying to get on your good side since you've been mad at him all week for putting us on different schedules."  
  
"Well it worked, he's officially back in my good graces." Buffy said with a smile before she kissed him once again. Weaving his fingers through her hair, Angel pulled her even closer as he deepened the kiss. Buffy eagerly responded to his demands with equal passion, putting all of her feelings into the kiss.   
  
They quickly found themselves lost in each others touch, but the sound of someone clearing their throat brought them back to the present. They broke apart quickly and turned to find Buffy's mother standing behind them with a smile on her face.  
  
"Hi Mom," Buffy said,   
  
"Hi" she replied  
  
"Um, did you need something?" Buffy asked as she untangled herself from Angel.  
  
"No, not really, I just thought I would do my motherly duty and walk in you at an inopportune moment," she said causing both Buffy and Angel to laugh.  
  
"Good job. Angel, this is my mom, Joyce Giles. Mom, this is Angelus McClowery."  
  
"Nice to meet you." Angel said.  
  
"Nice to meet you, too, Angelus." Joyce replied.  
  
"You can call me Angel," he said, shooting Buffy a look, "everybody else seems to, lately"  
  
Buffy smiled at him innocently, "Why are you giving me that look? I like calling you Angel."  
  
Angel finally gave up trying to act mad and smiled back at her, "So what time are we supposed to meet the others?"  
  
"I told them to be there by 9:30," Buffy said.  
  
"Well then I guess we have a little extra time before we need to get going."  
  
"Why don't the two of you come inside and until then and I can get to know Angel a little better," Joyce said as she moved towards the door.  
  
"Ooh, Angel Q&A. Sounds like fun to me!" Buffy said cheerily as she pulled Angel along behind her.  
  
Angel grimaced, but followed her inside, "Yeah, lots of fun."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At 9'o'clock Buffy and Angel walked into the club. They had spent a few hours with Buffy's mom before they had made their escape. As they walked into the crowded club, they looked around for their friends.  
  
"I don't think that the guys are here yet," Buffy said.  
  
Angel looked around for a minute longer, "I don't see them either, wait, there's Spike."  
  
Angel lead her through the crowd, while Buffy anxiously awaited her first glimpse of Angel's best friend. Angel had told her all kinds of stories about him, but they had yet to meet. Even with everything she had been told, she was a little shocked when she found herself face to face with a blue eyed, peroxide blond.   
  
"You made it." Angel said as he slapped his friend on the back.  
  
Spike smirked at him, "Well I didn't have a better offer. Besides," he said as he turned towards Buffy, "I wasn't going to pass up a chance to meet the infamous Buffy. Hello Cutie."  
  
"Hi," She replied, still slightly in shock over the difference between the person she expected to meet and the one standing in front of her. "Nice to meet you."  
  
"You too," he replied. He then turned to Angel, "I thought you said there was going to be a group of people here, Angelus. Three people doesn't seem like a very big group to me," he said with a smile.  
  
"Buffy's friends are coming. They should be here soon." Angel replied.  
  
"They probably had to physically force Willow into the car. On the phone earlier, she kept trying to back out of coming," Buffy said.  
  
"Why didn't she want to come?" Angel asked.  
  
Buffy sighed, "I don't know, something about being a fifth wheel."  
  
"She goes places with us all the time. It has never bothered her before." Angel said.  
  
"It's the club scene. She has been avoiding having to go out like this since she broke up with her boyfriend a few months ago.  
  
"I can see why she wouldn't want to come," Spike said. At Buffy and Angel's questioning looks, he continued, "Well, it's no fun to be alone in a place that is packed with couples."  
  
"I know, but I just want her to have some fun. She's my best friend, I hate seeing her unhappy." Buffy said.  
  
Angel wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, "Baby, don't worry. She'll move on when she's ready."  
  
"I know," she replied before placing a quick kiss on his lips. She then turned towards the other man at their table, "So, Spike, do you have any good stories that you think I would be interested in hearing?"  
  
A wide smile spread across his face, just before Angel's hand clamped across his mouth. "Buffy, listen to nothing that this man says. He has no idea what he's talking about."  
  
"Ok, now I know that we have got to talk," Buffy said to Spike as he was released by Angel. Just then she noticed that her friend had entered the club. "Angel, the guys are here. I'm going to go get them."  
  
Both men watched as she walked away from the table. Spike suddenly turned towards his friend, "So, that's Buffy huh?"  
  
"Yeah, that's her," Angel replied, without looking away from her as she greeted her friends.  
  
Spike laughed, "Well, ANGEL, you have certainly got it bad."  
  
Angel grimaced at Spike's use of his nickname, "I knew that I wouldn't make it through the night without you commenting on that."  
  
"How did that come about?"  
  
Angel laughed at the memory, "It's a long story."  
  
"Ok, I'll get it out of you later. Here comes your girl and her friends."  
  
"Hey," Angel said as they all crowded around the small table. Leaving her former chair available for Willow, Buffy claimed a seat on Angel's lap. Xander and his girlfriend Cordelia sat in the remaining two chairs.  
  
"Guys, I'd like you to meet Angel's friend Spike. Spike, these are my friends, Xander, Cordelia, and Willow," Buffy said.  
"Always glad to have another guy around," Xander laughed, "I'm tired of being outnumbered."  
  
"Oh, you know that you love it," Cordelia replied. Thus beginning one of Xander and Cordelia's famous "conversations".  
  
Spike watched the interaction between the mismatched couple. The guy seemed all right, but he had a goofy, childlike way about him, while his girlfriend was definitely a class act. He then turned his attention to the other new face at the table. She wasn't exactly like he had pictured her when Buffy had been talking earlier, but he definitely wasn't disappointed. She was also watching the good-natured argument that ws occurring between her two friends. Suddenly she laughed at something that Buffy had whispered in her ear and Spike couldn't help but think how pretty she was when she smiled. When he felt someone nudge him, he turned to find that Angel was leaning in close to him.  
  
"What are you looking at, Spike?"   
  
"You didn't tell me that she was a red head." he replied.  
  
"Oh, I didn't?" Angel said innocently, even though he was very aware that he hadn't mentioned it. He also knew very well that Spike found red hair to be very attractive. "It must have slipped my mind."  
  
"Oh I bet it did, Angel," he replied, once again stressing Angel's nickname, "I bet it did."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
The group sat for a while, just laughing and getting to know one another, occasionally getting up to dance. Finally the girls announced that they were going to do the girl-group-bathroom-thing. After they had left the table, Xander asked, "Why do they do that? They can't go alone?"  
  
"It's female code for 'we're going to talk now'." Spike replied.  
  
"I'd like to hear one of those conversations," xander said.  
  
Angel laughed, "Wouldn't we all. Spike, while they're gone, I need to ask you a favor."  
  
"Sure, what do you need?"  
  
"I need you to help me set up a surprise for Buffy tomorrow."  
  
After hearing the details of Angel's surprise, the other two men looked at each other and laughed. Spike shook his head and looked at his long time friend, "When did you become such a sap?"  
  
"I'd guess that it ws about the time that Buffy became a bubbly, giggling romantic," Xander said.  
  
Doing his best to ignore their comments, Angel asked, "Are you going to help me or not?"  
  
Spike sighed, "You know I will, but you own me one."  
  
"Thanks Spike."  
  
Meanwhile, the girls were making plans of a different kind.  
  
"Buffy, Halloween is only two weeks away. We need to decide what costumes we are all going to wear to the party," Cordelia said.  
  
"I haven't decided yet. Willow, what are you going to wear?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it." Willow said, without much enthusiasm.  
  
"Will, what's wrong? Don't you want to go to the party?"  
  
"I don't know, it really sounds like fun, but it's just more couplely stuff and well, I'm still not part of a couple."  
  
"Haven't you had fun tonight?" Buffy asked.  
  
Willow thought for a minute, "Well, yeah, actually."  
  
"Well, see. You didn't think you would. I even saw you dancing with Spike a few times." Buffy continued.  
  
"Buffy, that was just because you guys were all dancing."  
  
"What? You don't like him?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"No, I mean yeah, he seems nice, I guess." Willow replied.  
  
"See, Will, you can still have some fun and not be a part of a couple." Buffy said  
  
"I know," Willow sighed, "Ok, I'm going with you guys, but you have to help me find a costume."  
  
"Great!"Buffy smiled, "Now let's go break the news to the guys."  
  
The gils made their way back to the table and informed the guys of their upcoming plans. Neither Angel or Xander found the idea very appealing, but of course gave in to the wants of their girlfriends.  
  
"You guys planned all that in one trip to the ladies room?" Xander asked.  
  
"No, silly," Willow said, "We just made the final decision to go to the party, we haven't planned anything yet." Everyone laughed at the look of horror that crossed Xander's face.  
  
"We need to get started though," Cordelia said. "Why don't we meet tomorrow afternoon and we can go looking for costumes?"  
  
"Buffy's busy tomorrow." Angel said quickly.  
  
She turned in his lap until she could see his face and then asked, "I am? Since when?"  
  
Giving her his best puppy dog face, he said, "Since I'm asking you not to do anything tomorrow because I have a surprise for you."  
  
"Well, I don't know...," Buffy pretended to think. "Ok! Sorry guys, I'm busy tomorrow."  
  
"Oh, like you even had to think about it," Cordelia said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, well," was Buffy's only comment.  
  
After a few more hours spent at the club, and many more complaints from Angel and Xander about going to a costume party, the group decided to call it a night and all headed for home.  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Xander, can you let Angel in?" Buffy yelled form her bedroom when she heard the knock on the door.  
  
"Yeah, I got it," he answered as he opened the door. "Hey, man, come on it. Buffy's still getting ready."  
  
"Thanks," Angel said as he entered the apartment.  
  
"So, did you guys get everything ready?" Xander asked after making sure that Buffy wasn't in hearing distance.  
  
"Hopefully, Spike is supposed to be finishing everything up now. I told him to have it ready by 7."  
  
Just then Buffy emerged from her bedroom, "Ok, I'm ready. What's my surprise?"  
  
Laughing Angel leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, then he replied, "You have to wait and see."  
  
"Hey, last night you said I had to wait until today." Buffy pouted.  
  
"Well, now you have to wait a little while longer."   
  
Buffy smiled in spite of her best efforts not to do so, "You are really not funny, do you know that?"  
  
Angle smiled down at her, "Are you ready to leave?"  
  
"Let's go!" Buffy said quickly, "Bye Xand, tell Will that I'll talk to her about the costumes they found tomorrow."  
  
"Sure thing," Xander said, "You two crazy kids go, have fun."  
  
"See ya," Angel said before she closed the door. They reached Angel's car and pulled out onto the street. After driving for a few minutes, Buffy once again became impatient.  
  
"Angel, where are we going?"  
  
"I told you, it's a surprise." he replied.  
  
Buffy moved closer to him and asked, "Can't you give me one little bitty hint?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Angel! Please."  
  
"No," he laughed, "It would ruin everything."  
  
"Oh all right, be that way." she pouted. After a few minutes more she asked, "Am I getting to you yet?"  
  
"Angel laughed once again, "No, you're cute when you pout."  
  
"Ha ha ha"  
  
When they pulled into the parking area, Buffy realized immediately where they were. They were at the park that they had visited on their first date.  
  
"Come on," Angel said as he opened the door for her and pulled her from the car. They walked hand in hand down the same path that they walked down on that fabulous day that had happened one month before.  
  
Lost in her memories of that day, Buffy didn't even realize that Angel had stopped walking until she felt a tug on her hand. She turned to face her boyfriend, "Why'd you stop?"  
  
"Do you trust me?" he asked.  
  
She smiled, "You know I do."  
  
"Close your eyes." he said.  
  
When she complied, Angel gently guided her forward, making sure that there was nothing that she would trip over. As they entered the clearing, Angel looked around to assure himself that everything had been set up correctly. Standing behind Buffy, he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Now open them."  
  
Buffy slowly opened her eyes and gasped, "Angel, I can't believe...It's beautiful." She threw her arms around his neck. Then she turned back to look at the most beautiful picnic she had ever seen. There was a large blanket lying on the ground with a huge selection of all Buffy's favorite foods. Candles had been placed around the sides of the blanket and soft music was coming from a small radio. Buffy turned back towards Angel, "I don't know what to say."  
  
Angel smiled, "Well, why don't we eat and you can think about it."  
  
"Okay, but first," Buffy said before moving into the circle of Angel's arms, "I think I should say thank you." With that said, Buffy pulled his head down to meet hers. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. A kiss which quickly became more passionate. Just before they both lost control, Angel pulled away.   
  
"Your welcome" he said, breathing heavily.  
  
:Buffy laughed, but was equally breathless, " Let's eat."  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Buffy sighed and leaned back onto Angel's chest. She felt completely safe and happy, wrapped tightly in his arms.  
  
"I can't believe you did all of this. You are so sweet."  
  
"There you go again with all of that 'sweet' stuff again," he stated.  
  
Laughing Buffy said, "I'm sorry. I forgot you don't like that. How's this, You are the best boyfriend ever and this has been the best night of my life."  
  
"That's better. So best night of your life, huh?" he asked.  
  
Buffy nodded, "No contest."  
  
"So nothing could make it better?"  
  
"It would take a lot" she stated.  
  
"Well, let's see if this will do it, he said as he handed he a small wrapped package.  
  
"What's this?" she asked as she was sitting up so that she could open the gift.  
  
"Open it and see," he said.  
  
Buffy removed the paper to find a small box. When she opened the box, she found herself speechless for the second time that night.  
  
"Angel..."  
  
"It's a Claddagh ring. Where my father is from, people exchange them as a sign of devotion," he told her.  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"If you where it with the heart pointing towards you, it means you belong to someone, like this." he explained as he held up his hand to show a matching ring on his own finger.  
  
Buffy smiled, " Will you put it on for me?"  
  
Angel brought the ring to his lips and gently kissed it before placing it on her finger.  
  
"What do the different symbols stand for?" she asked.  
  
Angel shifted a little nervously, "The hands stand for friendship, the crown stands for loyalty, and the heart...the heart stands for love."  
  
He quickly looked into Buffy's eyes to see what her reaction was to his statement. She was staring at him with a slight smile on her lips and her eyes brimming with unshed tears.  
  
Without his ever loosing eye contact with her, he quietly said, "I love you, Buffy"  
  
"I love you, too" she replied in the same quiet voice. She pulled his hand to her lips and kissed his ring in the same manner as he had to her own. Once again Angel lowered his head to capture her lips in a kiss. This one wasn't has passionate as the one the had shared earlier, yet it expressed all of the emotions that they each were feeling.   
  
Angel pulled back when he heard a slow song that he recognized began to play over the nearly forgotten radio. He slowly rose to his feet and looked down at his love.   
  
"Dance with me?" he said, as he pulled her to her feet.  
  
Buffy didn't reply, she just stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. When he placed his arms around her waist, she placed her head on his shoulder. Together they began to move to the slow music.  
  
_Don't think I'm crazy  
I know it's not the most romantic night  
It's cold and it's cloudy  
The moon is just a fingernail up in the sky  
but I thought that we could take a walk  
And just enjoy what's there  
If we can't see it all  
Well I don't care (just)  
  
A sliver of the moon  
The corner of a star  
A little piece of romance   
keeps love shinin' in our hearts  
A twinkle in your eye  
or a single firefly  
that's all we need to make it right  
not meteors and northern lights  
It only takes a sliver of the moon  
  
_As the music continued, they continued to dance, as closely together as they could. They were each lost in their own thought of the paths that they had walked, the paths that had brought them together.   
  
Buffy looked up into Angel's eye's, "I'm so glad that I met you."  
  
"That day, was the best day of my life," Angel replied truthfully.  
  
The song ended and another began, but the two couple never noticed. They were no longer dancing to the music form the radio. They were dancing to the music that flowed between their hearts.  
  
THE END


	3. Halloween Parties, Scary Movies, and Acc...

**Halloween Parties, Scary Movies, and Accidental Slumber Parties**

By:  Heather

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Joss Wedon. The plot is mine, though.  
Spoilers: None for the show. Some for the other stories in the series.  
Authors Notes: This is number 3 in my Love at First Sight series. If you haven't read the first 2 stories, you can find them at LOD or eventually at my site or email me and I will send them to you. They are Love at First Sight and Sliver of the Moon. This one is a little shorter than the other two, but I just wanted to write a fun story for Halloween.  
  
  
'Wow, is that me?' Buffy thought as she stood in front of her full-length mirror admiring her reflection. It was Halloween and she had just finished putting on her costume for the party she was attending that night and she was more than a little surprised at the change in her appearance.  
  
Technically, she wasn't wearing a traditional costume. When the girls had announced that they wanted to attend a Halloween party, they guys had been against the idea. Finally, they had caved in when the girls agreed to these costumes—they were going as a vampire gang. That way, their costumes only involved getting a little dressed up.  
  
Buffy was wearing a tight black leather miniskirt with a blood red halter top and black knee length boots. Her blond hair was down her back and contrasted greatly her black eye make-up and red lipstick. The look was topped off with a black choker. The total effect was a bit shocking.  
  
"Where is it written hat vampires have to wear leather?" Willow asked as she entered Buffy's room.  
  
Buffy turned around and looked at her best friend, "Um…I don't know, but I am sure it is somewhere."  
  
"Buffy!" Willow said, looking down at her clothes. She was wearing black leather pants and a skin tight black tank top. Her makeup was done in the same fashion as Buffy's.  
  
"You look great, Will."  
  
"I look stupid," Willow pouted.  
  
"No, you do not."  
  
"Buffy! Look at me!"  
  
"Willow, look at me! It's Halloween. It's come as aren't night. We are supposed to look different than our usual."  
  
Willow finally cracked a small smile, "I know, I just feel silly."  
  
"Come on, it's better than a ghost or a fairy princess or something dumb like that."  
  
"True, very true. So when is Angel supposed to get here?"  
  
"He should be here in about twenty minutes," Buffy said with a smile.  
  
"Somebody having mental images of their boyfriend in leather pants?"  
  
"Me? No. Uh-uh."  
  
Both girls held a straight face for a second before they both fell into a helpless fit of giggles.  
  
"What's so funny?" Xander asked, stepping into the room.  
  
Finally, calming down, the girls stood up and Buffy replied, "Nothing."  
  
"WOW! Check out the vixens," he said taking in their attire.  
  
"You look pretty good yourself," Willow replied, pointing at his black leather pants and dark red shirt."  
  
"Will, you can't screw up greatness," he said as he pretended to slick back his hair.  
  
The girls gave each other a look before replying, simultaneously, "Oh Please."  
  
A knock on the door interrupted Xander's retort. The three of them made their way into the living room to answer the door. They opened it to reveal Cordelia on the other side. She was dressed in the same fashion as Buffy and Willow.  
  
"Hey Honey, you look great!" Xander said as he leaned down to kiss her.  
  
"Of course I do," she replied with a smile. She looked at the girls outfits, "You guys look good, too. Buffy, has Angel seen what you are wearing yet?"  
  
"No, I wanted to surprise him. What do you think he is going to say?"  
  
"You mean after he regains his power of speech?" Willow asked.  
  
Buffy laughed, "Is that a good thing?"  
  
"Lets find out," Xander said when there was another knock on the door.  
  
"I'll get it," Buffy said before opening the door.  
  
It was hard to say whose mouth fell open faster when Buffy and Angel saw each other. Neither noticed the stifled giggles of the others as the continued to stare. Buffy stepped back and looked at Angel, in black leather pants, a dark blue velvet shirt, and a knee length leather duster, he was easily the sexist man she had ever seen.  
  
He was the first to recover, "Baby, you look gorgeous," he said as he stepped into the room.  
"Thank you," Buffy said just as he took her into his arms kissed her.  
  
Completely forgetting that they had an audience, they both let themselves get lost in the feel of each other's lips, but the coughing finally brought them back to reality. They pulled apart slowly and sheepishly looked at their friends.  
  
"Guess he liked it Buff," Cordelia said in her usual tactless manner.  
  
Angel laughed, but was saved from having to reply by Xander asking, "Are you guys ready to get this show on the road?"  
  
When everyone agreed, they all gathered their things and left for the party.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They all entered together, looking around at all of the different costumes that the people were wearing at the party. There were people everywhere, dressed as everything imaginable. Some were dancing, while others were standing around talking.  
  
They had been there for about an hour when Angel pulled Buffy out onto the dance floor. The two of them mad a striking couple and they each received many appreciative glances, but neither of them noticed. All of their attention was completely focused on each other. As they began to dance, Angel asked, "Have I told you how beautiful you are lately?"  
  
"Not in the last five minutes. I was beginning to think that I had lost all of my appeal."  
  
That comment made Angel laugh out loud, "That is not likely to happen."  
  
"Good," Buffy said as she snuggled deeper into his warm embrace.  
  
Meanwhile, Willow found herself standing alone. She had been standing with Xander and Cordelia, until one of Cordelia's friends had arrived and they had gone to say hello. She was watching Angel and Buffy when someone behind her said, " So, what's a nice vampire like you doing in a place like this?"  
  
She spun around and found herself staring into the clear blue eyes of Spike. "Spike! What are you doing here?" she asked with a welcoming smile.  
  
"Well, I heard that there was going to be this party tonight and I thought...oh hell, I came to make fun of Angelus," he said.  
  
Willow laughed and then took in his appearance. He was dresses in much the same way that the rest of them dressed. "Are you going to make fun of yourself, too?" she asked.  
  
"You know, I figured that I would end up hanging out with you guys. I didn't want to stand out."  
  
"Oh, I see," she replied.  
  
They stood together in silence for a moment. When the music changed again, he turned to her and asked, "Would you like to dance?"  
  
"Sure," she said as she reached to grasp the hand that he had extended towards her. Together they moved onto the dance floor.  
  
Angel and Buffy returned to the place that they had been standing, only to find that their friend were no longer there.  
  
"Where did they go?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I see Xander and Cordelia over there, but I don't see Willow anywhere," Angel answered.  
  
Buffy sighed, "I wonder where she...hey, there she is on the dance floor."  
  
"See, I told you that you didn't have to worry about her," Angel said as he looked to where Buffy was pointing.  
  
"That's Spike she's dancing with," she said. "You didn't tell me that he was coming."  
  
"I didn't know that he was coming." Angel replied.  
  
Buffy smiled when she saw Willow laugh at something that Spike had said. "They seem to be having a good time."  
  
"Yeah, I think they really hit it off the other night," Angel said as he turned to face her. When he saw the look on her face, he quickly added, "Oh no, Buffy. None of that matchmaking stuff. Just leave it up to the two of them, ok?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. No problem." Buffy said innocently before giving him a quick kiss.  
  
Any further comments he was going to make on the subject of matchmaking, vanished the moment he felt her lips touch his. He quickly grabbed her and changed her chaste kiss into a more passionate one. Moving back a few steps, so that she was leaning against the wall, Buffy eagerly returned his kiss. As their tongues dueled and their hands began to roam, the rest of the room began to fade away. It was as if they were the only to people on earth. However, an outside voice, once again reminded otherwise.  
  
"Don't you two ever come up for air?"  
  
They broke apart and Buffy buried her head in Angel's chest to try and regain her composure. Angel glared at his best friend, who was now standing next to him, and replied, "Not if we can help it."  
  
Spike just smiled and Willow tried to keep from laughing. Buffy finally raised her head from Angel's chest and turned to face her friends, but she still looked a little flushed. The four of them stood and talked for a while before they were rejoined by Cordelia and Xander.  
  
"This party is lame," Cordelia announced upon their arrival.  
  
Xander looked at her, "Well I don't want to be the one to say 'I told you so', but.."  
  
"They don't," she and Buffy replied at the same time.  
  
"Ok," Xander said quickly.  
  
"What else do you guys want to do?" Willow asked.  
  
"Well, we could go rent some movies and have a video veg-fest at the apartment." Buffy suggested.  
  
Everyone agreed to the idea, so they moved outside. They then made their way to the movie rental place. That is where they met with the greatest challenge of the night. The monumental task of trying to agree on a movie  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I'm going to change," Buffy announced as soon as the group entered the apartment.  
  
"Me too," Willow said.  
  
"Buffy, can I borrow some clothes?" Cordelia asked.  
  
"Sure, come on." Buffy replied as all three girls moved towards the bedrooms, leaving the men standing in the doorway.  
  
"That's no fair," Angle said. "They were the ones who wanted to go to the dumb party and now we're the ones who get stuck wearing the uncomfortable clothes all night."  
  
"Speak for yourself," Xander said as he walked towards his own bedroom. "You guys can go ahead and sit down or whatever. I'll be right back."  
  
Once Xander was gone, Angel turned to Spike and asked, "What made you decide to come to the party tonight?"  
  
"I was bored, nothing better to do." he replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Oh, so a certain red head had nothing to do with your decision?"  
  
Spike smiled at his friend, "Well, she might have had something to do with it."  
  
"I thought she might," Angel said, just as the girls returned to the room.   
  
They all went into the kitchen where they grabbed as many snack foods and drinks as they could carry. They then made their way into the living room. Cordelia and Xander chose to sit on the floor, while Buffy and Angel sat together in the large recliner, leaving Spike and Willow to sit on the sofa.  
  
Xander plugged the movie into the VCR and pressed play. Upon entering the movie rental place, they had quickly found out that all of the good horror movies had already been rented out. They had ended up renting _Critters, _the early 80's movie about killer aliens that looked for all the world like furry pac-men with teeth.  
  
At first they all laughed and made fun of the movie, but as time passed and the food ran out, they one by one began to drift off to sleep. By the time that the end of the movie arrived, there was no one awake to see it.  
  
The End


End file.
